


Always Will Be

by AoiTsukikage



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Possibly Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6820261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiTsukikage/pseuds/AoiTsukikage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Arashi tries to play matchmaker, Mika unintentionally gives the best advice, and Mao realizes that sometimes the most obvious answer is, in fact, the right one.  Mild Ritsu/Mao.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Will Be

‘How long are you going to lie to yourself?”

“Narukami!” Mao snaps out of his daze and turns to his classmate, trying to collect his thoughts.  The smirk on Narukami’s face is entirely too knowing, gaze turned in the direction that Mao had been looking previously. 

“Considering that Ritsu-chan seems to sleep an average of about twenty hours per day, I doubt he’s that fascinating as to hold your focus for so long unless your mind is on…other things,” the words drip with a double meaning that Mao doesn’t really want to consider and he shakes his head reflexively. 

“Just thinking,” he knows that won’t be enough to throw Narukami off but it’s better than admitting where his thoughts _have_ been drifting more often than not lately. 

“You know the object that draws ones unconscious attention is often the one that’s at the forefront of the mind,” Narukami comments idly, legs crossed and leaning casually against Mao’s desk.

“Why are you meddling?” Mao knows that’s being a little too harsh and that more than likely his dismissal will only further the interrogation session, but then…Narukami isn’t going to judge him, so perhaps it wasn’t completely awful. 

“Because, as one who knows all too well the pains of unrequited love, seeing two comrades of mine attempting to dance around it when their feelings are _clearly_ mutual is making my heart ache.” 

This is accompanied by a dramatic sigh that brings a smile to Mao’s lips without him meaning it to, and he finds that his eyes are unconsciously drawn to Ritsu again at the words.

He knows he should wake the other boy up, especially since class will be starting soon, but Ritsu looks so peaceful when he’s asleep that he can’t bring himself to do it just yet. 

“Really, Mao-chan, pining doesn’t become you.”

“Even if you’re right…and I’m not saying that you are…what makes you think he feels the same?” Mao phrases the question as innocently as possible but from the way Narukami’s eyes flash he knows he’s made a terrible mistake. 

“Mika-chan!  Come here for a moment!” Narukami’s reply seems to involve pouncing on their fellow classmate and all but dragging him over, and from the look on Kagehira’s face it’s the last place he wants to be. 

“I’ve told y’ a million times not t’ attack me like that, Naru-chan!” he protests, although Mao notes that he doesn’t seem too concerned about getting Narukami to actually let go of him.  “What is it?”

“Would you or would you not say that Mao-chan and Ritsu-chan have _feelings_ toward each other?” the way it’s phrased makes it sound like something scandalous and Mao has to cover his instinct to laugh with a polite cough. 

“Well, y’know, y’ thought me ‘n Oshi-san living together was ‘cuz we were, y’know,” Kagehira’s cheeks are a little flushed and Mao feels for the kid, he really does, because Narukami’s thoughts tend to stray to the most…indecent option possible more often than not.  “But if I’m allowed t’ say it, whatever you two’ve got, it must be nice t’ have somebody who’s always there for you and wants you around,” he says it casually enough, though Mao notices Narukami’s hand tighten on his shoulder at the words. 

It doesn’t concern him, but he supposes he _is_ lucky to have Ritsu. 

As trying as the other boy is, as much as Mao sometimes feels like losing patience with him, Ritsu is a constant that he can’t imagine living without and he knows his life would have been much bleaker without him in it. 

He realizes belatedly that he’s gazing at Ritsu and smiling again, though from the knowing eyebrow raise Narukami’s giving him and the rather thoughtful look in Kagehira’s mismatched eyes they obviously have as well. 

“We’re friends,” he replies, the words sounding hollow to his own ears, but he _does_ need to wake Ritsu up now so he figures the conversation is essentially over. 

At least, he’ll tell himself that’s why he’s cutting it off and that it’s not actually because everything’s making him question things more than he rightfully should be. 

000

He can’t stop thinking about it after that. 

It’s distracting him to the point of being annoying but he’s analyzing every little thing Ritsu’s done lately and trying to find some sort of…alternate meaning in it. 

Yes, it’s true that Ritsu doesn’t treat anybody else the way he treats Mao – at least, if he’s going around kissing other people’s necks and being unusually affectionate with them and telling them he loves them repeatedly, Mao certainly hasn’t seen it – and if he stops trying to justify it he _knows_ that friends probably aren’t supposed to act that way. 

But that aside, he’s never really began to consider his _own_ feelings toward Ritsu before. 

Kagehira’s words, as simple as they were, had struck a chord and deep down Mao _knows_ how much Ritsu means to him. 

He might gripe about being the other boy’s nursemaid but if he’d truly had an issue with waking him up and dressing him and carrying him to school every day, he’d have stopped doing it a long time ago. 

None of that really helps him sort out his own feelings, but it’s with a fair bit of resignation that he admits he won’t be able to have any peace from his thoughts unless he actually _talks_ to Ritsu. 

How that conversation will go, he has no idea, but for his own sanity it needs to happen. 

000

As luck would have it, he finds Ritsu sprawled against a row of lockers outside of the student council room and decides that it’s not worth it to put things off any longer. 

“Ritsu, hey,” he kicks the boy’s shoe idly and Ritsu yawns, his eyes blinking open as he glances blearily up at Mao. 

“Maa-kun, carry me home?” he holds out his arms not unlike a child would and Mao feels something in his chest unknot, a genuine smile springing to his lips. 

“I will.  But not home just yet.  I have something I need to talk to you about,” he bends down so that Ritsu can crawl onto his back and stands up, steadying himself under Ritsu’s weight and making his way out to the school grounds. 

“What’s wrong, Maa-kun?” Ritsu asks, his voice laced with concern. 

“Nothing,” Mao assures him, changing directions and heading toward a small grove of trees that would hopefully provide them some privacy from anyone still hanging around after hours. 

“Mm, Maa-kun should know better than to lie to me,” he feels Ritsu’s breath hot on the back of his neck and shivers despite himself. 

“I’ll tell you once we stop, okay?” Mao walks into the trees, setting Ritsu down carefully against one and shaking his head in fond resignation when Ritsu leans his head back against the trunk and nearly falls asleep again. 

He sits down, letting his eyes rove over his companion before he speaks.  “Ritsu…Ritchan, hey, wake up,” he cautiously lays a hand on Ritsu’s knee and pulls it back when Ritsu starts awake.

“Mm?  What’s wrong, Maa-kun?  You gonna tell me now?” Ritsu yawns and forces himself to sit up.  Mao sighs, not sure how to start because if he’s wrong he’s just going to embarrass himself and he doesn’t want this to change their relationship.  “Maa-kun?” Ritsu’s voice is soft, concerned, and he grips Mao’s hands lightly, his skin cool to the touch. 

“Ritsu, I…” Mao takes a deep breath.  “How do you feel about me?” he finishes with a mumble, looking anywhere _but_ at Ritsu now. 

“What are you talking about?” Ritsu asks with a sleepy blink. 

“When you do things like…say you love me, or kiss my neck, or say that you always want to be with me…do you really mean that?  What am I to you?” he tries to clarify, although he’s still evading the most obvious way of asking and he curses himself for being a coward about this. 

“You’re Maa-kun,” Ritsu shrugs as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world.  “And Maa-kun is Maa-kun, right?” he slides his fingers from Mao’s grasp and reaches to cup his cheeks instead, forcing Mao to look at him. 

“Is that really what I am to you?” Mao asks softly, staring into Ritsu’s odd red-hued eyes. 

“I don’t know what answer you want,” Ritsu frowns, the corners of his lips pulling down.  “But nobody else will ever be Maa-kun, not ever,” he vows, his lips pulling back a little to bare his teeth in a way that’s entirely possessive and makes Mao feel both apprehensive and incredibly flattered. 

“Nobody will ever be Ritchan either,” he promises, earning a brilliant smile, and when Ritsu leans in to gently press his lips to Mao’s forehead he might be blushing a little more than he’ll ever admit. 

“Then isn’t that all that matters?” Ritsu asks simply. 

Mao realizes with a bit of a start that it _is,_ and whatever they have doesn’t need labels or explanations or rationalizations. 

They were who they were, and as long as _they_ knew it, it didn’t matter what anybody else thought. 

“Yeah.  Yeah, it is,” Mao laughs, taking a chance and sliding his fingers between Ritsu’s, and to his great surprise the other boy doesn’t protest the unprompted touch. 

“Come,” Ritsu tugs on Mao’s hand, leaning against the tree again and directing Mao to sit so that his back was against Ritsu’s chest.  “Sleep with me for a bit and then we can go home.”

Mao lets himself relax when Ritsu’s arms come around him, feeling nothing but secure and comfortable in the embrace, and he tilts his head back onto Ritsu’s shoulder. 

Yeah.  He can deal with this.  It doesn’t _entirely_ answer his questions or quiet his thoughts, but it’s enough for now. 

“Stop thinking so hard,” Ritsu grumbles, and Mao lets out a tiny laugh at the utter irritation in Ritsu’s voice. 

“How do you know I’m thinking?” he reaches for Ritsu’s hand again, letting the other boy make the final move to lace their fingers together. 

“Because, like I told you once, our hearts are connected,” Ritsu sighs in a rather put-upon fashion.  “Maa-kun needs to listen to me more carefully.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he holds his free hand over his chest without meaning to, feeling his own heart beat steadily.  “Ritchan and Maa-kun, huh?” he asks lightly. 

“Mm-hmm.  Don’t need to be anything else,” Ritsu replies, his words slurring together as he falls asleep again. 

Mao lets his own eyes close, letting Ritsu’s even breaths lull him into a half-asleep state, and thinks that maybe Ritsu’s right. 

Maybe they’re exactly who they need to be, and maybe they always have been. 

And, as long as Ritsu’s by his side, he knows that they always will be. 

**Author's Note:**

> So...I was dragged into this fandom about a month ago because I'd seen other people talking about the game and now there's apparently no going back. That being said, I've never written these characters before and haven't read through all of the stories yet but the recent event inspired me and I wanted to try my hand at writing something. 
> 
> I don't really know anybody in the fandom so I'm nervous about posting this but I hope it was enjoyable. 
> 
> (if you want to find me elsewhere I'm at [_mikarashis](https://twitter.com/_mikarashis) on twitter!)


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